1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for optimizing a neighbor list in a mobile communication system, more specifically to a method and apparatus for optimizing a neighbor list, using wireless quality measurement data, in a mobile communication system.
2. Description of the Related Technology
In the mobile communication system, the entire service area is divided into a number of base stations to organize the service area with cells, which are small service areas. These base stations are centrally controlled with a switching system to ensure that subscribers can move between the cells to continue their calls using their mobile terminals. When the mobile terminal exits one base station and enters a new cell in the mobile communication system, the call can be continued through the handover function.
The efficiency of handover can differ in the reliability of call continuity and the system load, depending on how the handover is provided. The handover is mainly provided in two methods: soft handover and hard handover. The soft handover is a make-before-cut method, in which the call is cut after a new call is made, and the hard handover is a cut-before-make method, in which the call is cut before a new call is made. The mobile communication system usually provides the soft handover when the handover is required, but sometimes the hard handover is used to provide the call continuity if necessary.